NASCAR is committed to keeping its fans happy during broadcasts of events such as the Ally 400, the first event of 2021. But the league is also committed to offering gamblers content. It comes down to providing information without annoying anyone.
Integration of content and odds will only get bigger as legalized gambling expands. For example:
- When Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Paisley started pre-race coverage on “Countdown to Green,” betting odds ran across the ticker on the bottom of the screen, along with other information about drivers, the track and more
- Jac Collinsworth asked Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty for their picks and the odds for those selections
- On Lap 194, odds were displayed on the left side of the screen, beneath the leaderboard
“One of the things we’re cognizant of is not all of our fans want to see betting content as they’re watching a race,” said Joe Solosky, managing director of sports betting at NASCAR. I think FOX and NBC are doing a good job of towing that line.”
Ed Williams, director of content, sports betting and gaming at NBC Sports Edge, said, “We’re aiming to put together probably a 60-second clip, nothing too intense, hitting on best bets, some of the dark horses, that kind of thing.”
NASCAR proponents believe the future lies with in-race betting, making this a priority for broadcast content.
“From my point of view, there are opportunities there, and that’s another one of those things where we’re kind of just getting started,” Williams said. “I think it’s ultimately where you can expand to, and as more people get used to betting in general, live betting will become more prevalent.”
With leagues and networks concerned about turning off viewers who aren’t interested in betting, some of this content will likely migrate to alternate platforms. This past April, ESPN2 provided a peek into the second-screen experience, as it aired a betting-themed broadcast of Nets vs. 76ers to accompany the main broadcast on ESPN.
“If your goal is to try and educate fans on betting, which is one of our goals at NASCAR, you’re not going to start with more complex markets (such as live betting),” Solosky said. “I think what NBC and PointsBet did, in terms of just having the odds to win the race, is a good move. If (a viewer) opts into a second screen that’s more focused on betting, then you can integrate more of the complex or in-race markets.”
